1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to life-saving devices having utility in water environments, and more particularly relates to a waist belt member that contains inflatable buoyancy-providing devices and a means for enhancing the visibility of the individual using the invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Whenever it becomes necessary to abandon a ship or boat in deep or cold waters, a quick rescue is imperative because it is well known that the human body cannot withstand severe cold for long periods of time and that sharks inhabit both warm and cold waters.
Inventors first addressed the survival problem by providing personal flotation devices that could be donned quickly if it became necessary to enter the water; these devices came to be known generically as life jackets; some life jackets are pre-inflated and some are not.
Typically, a life jacket includes an annular waist member and an elongate tubular member that extends from a first front portion of the waist member, over the front of a first shoulder, behind the wearer's neck, over the front of a second shoulder, and back to a second front portion of the waist member.
Some inventors have advanced the art of water emergency devices by adding signaling means to life jackets; for example, the following U.S. patents show some type of signalling device used in conjunction with an individual in the water: U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,568; 3,877,096; 3,952,694 to McDonald; U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,856 and 4,551,106.
There is a need, however, for a device that combines the flotation function with means for increasing the chances that an individual in need of assistance can be spotted quickly by search and rescue personnel.
The devices known heretofore are adequate in some situations, but not all; accordingly, the art, though well-developed, is not fully developed and a need is extant for a device that combines the best flotation art with the best attention-attracting art.
Moreover, an urgent need exists for a device that can ward off sharks and other predators.